Klitschko trainer hopes to avoid another bad omen

® was in his hotel in Germany when he suddenly had the sensation Klitschko was heading for his fourth defeat – and there was nothing he could do about it.

Banks said: “Manny told me one thing, ‘Before every fight, I see the outcome a day or two before’.

“When Tommy Hearns was going up against Marvin Hagler, he (Steward) knew it. It hit him in the locker room. He knew Hearns was going to lose the fight. He couldn’t tell Hearns that.

“He told Hearns not to fight Iran Barkley because he knew Barkley was going to beat him. When Lennox was going to South Africa to fight Hasim Rahman, the feeling came again.

Forget

“You can’t say when the feeling comes but when it hit me about Fury and Wladimir, I had it in my head the whole time.

“I just thought, ‘Damn’. I had a feeling before the fight it wasn’t going to be our night.

“I got it on the Thursday ahead of the Fury fight. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I can’t describe it. Manny couldn’t describe it to me. Not until you are in tune with your fighter will you know.

“Of course you can’t say anything to Wladimir. You can’t walk to the ring with your head down and sad. You can’t say, ‘Forget it’.

“You have to go through with it and see what comes out. Maybe he can do something to offset it. As of now, I’ve never had the feeling and been wrong. Even with myself. When I fought Tomasz Adamek, I knew for a sure thing, on the Tuesday before the fight. I said, ‘I’m not going to win this fight, damn’.”

When Steward died in 2012, Banks assumed the role as Klitschko’s chief trainer, despite his inexperience as a coach.

The Ukrainian was keen to keep the influence from the Kronk Gym in Detroit in his camp and never considered dropping Banks, even after he was criticised for the Fury defeat.

Klitschko now looks to join an exclusive club alongside ring icons Muhammad Ali and George Foreman – by regaining the world heavyweight title against the odds – and the man in his corner is backing him to do it.

Ali travelled to Zaire in 1974 to face Foreman, who was at his monstrous best, and he outwitted him with the fabled rope-a-dope tactics.

While Foreman, at 45, became the oldest heavyweight champion when he knocked out Michael Moorer to claim the WBA and IBF belts.

Now Banks believes Klitschko, at 41, can upset the favourite Joshua, 27.

Banks added: “Is he too old? That’s the same thing Michael Moorer thought when he fought George Foreman.

“George Foreman thought the same thing when he fought Muhammad Ali in Zaire. George took what Ali did to him and did the exact same thing to Michael Moorer. There’s something about when an old man don’t back down from a fight – you better pay attention to the older guy.” SKY Sports Box Office will show Joshua v Klitschko exclusively live. To order go to www. skysports.com/joshua